Original scientific paper
Spatio-temporal analysis of wild boar (Sus scrofa L.) metastrongylosis on the area of Nature Park Medvednica
Ana Orlović
Ines Fouchou-Lapeyrade
Miljenko Bujanić
; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Franjo Martinković
; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Krešimir Krapinec
; Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Dean Konjević
; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Metastrongylosis is an invasive disease of wild boars caused by lungworms from the family Metastrongylidae and the genus Metastrongylus, including six species: M. pudenodotectus, M. apri (elongatus), M. confusus, M. salmi, M. asymetricus and M. madagascariensis. Generally, the infection is only latent in wild boar, except occasionally in animals from fenced-in breeding. The hypothesis is that prevalence will differ in different nature protection areas in relation to the sample size and differing climatic conditions in different years. A total of 416 samples of faeces and lungs of wild boars were collected. Faecal samples were examined by the flotation method (MgSO4 specific gravity 1.2). The parasites collected were analysed under a microscope. Spatial analysis was performed in the ArcGIS 9.3 program, and statistical analysis in
the MedCalc program. The total prevalence was 44.4%. Spatially, there were no significant differences in prevalence between the nature protection areas, indicating their uniformity. A more concrete increase in prevalence was found in the latest seasons in areas 1 and 5. A comparison by season showed a significant decrease in prevalence in 2017/2018 and 2018/2019, while a statistically higher prevalence was observed in the 2021/2022 season. The highest OR values were obtained by comparing the 2021/2022 hunting season with the 2017/2018 (OR=6.298; CI 95% 2.597-15.27; p<0.0001) and 2018/2019 seasons (OR=6.590; CI 95% 2.900-14.97; p<0.0001). According to the available literature, this is one of the first such studies on wild boars. The results indicate variations in the number of samples during the seasons as well as according to the individual areas, which leads to bias in the estimation of prevalence. Therefore, the need for prolonged monitoring is emphasized in order to reduce the potential sampling bias, and to obtain more reliable data on the presence of the pathogen in the population. The proximity of the areas and the uniformity of ecological factors result in low variability between seasons and regions.
Keywords
wild boar; metastrongylosis; Medvednica; spatio-temporal analysis
Hrčak ID:
305400
URI
Publication date:
25.6.2023.
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